Consumer behaviour towards pharmaceutical products: a model development
International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing
ISSN: 1750-6123
Article publication date: 14 June 2019
Issue publication date: 12 August 2019
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the extant literature on purchasing behaviour, little is known about why and how consumers purchase and use pharmaceutical products in Malaysia. This paper aims to develop a holistic model that articulates the factors underlying pharmaceutical product purchase and use and their relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon the grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews and analysis on the basis of theoretical saturation were conducted. Enumerators, trained to perform interviews, the transcription and content analysis, sampled 120 Malaysian consumers in the first phase and 40 in the second. ATLAS.ti was used to assist the coding and analytical process.
Findings
The findings largely support extant literature on purchasing decisions. Particularly, the evaluation of product attributes was found to be an immediate determinant of purchase and use. The effect, in turn, was moderated by personal factors and facilitating conditions. The need for healthcare products and the knowledge about them were constructed as antecedents in the model. The study also highlights that consumers’ purchase and use of pharmaceutical products could be better understood and managed with a holistic view of the decision-making process.
Originality/value
This study proposes the conbe-hepro model to explicate the antecedents and determinants of consumers’ purchase and use of pharmaceutical products in the Malaysian context. It provides a theoretical grounding that enriches our knowledge of the changing behaviour of consumers in healthcare literature. It also yields practical insights to the government bodies and the healthcare providers in Malaysia and other developing countries.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express their gratitude to Director General of Health Malaysia for his approval to publish this manuscript. Besides, they would also like to thank the Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Service Division and Director of Pharmacy Enforcement Division for their great support on this study. Last but not least, they credit all enumerators from each states and federal territories who devoted their efforts unreservedly in data collection process to make this study possible. This study does not receive any form of funding.
Citation
Ting, C.Y., Ismail, M.B., Ting, H., Bahri, S.B., Sidek, A.B., Idris, S.F.B., Tan, R.T.H., Abu Seman, S.S.B., Sethiaram, M.R.A., Md Ghazali, M.H.B., Lim, Q.H., Mohd Zaki, M.S.B. and Sohot, M.S.B. (2019), "Consumer behaviour towards pharmaceutical products: a model development", International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 387-402. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPHM-07-2018-0040
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited